Suicidal Tendencies

These guys need no introduction, and if I were a lazy bastard I’d just say ‘Let the pictures tell the story’, because the sheer energy bombarding the heads and hearts of the Ballroom crowd is pretty much there to see in the photos. But I won’t. Well, not yet anyway…

Mike Muir has a big heart and a big mouth, showing both frequently. His motor-mouth soliloquies resemble a rap face-off at times, and the thick LA accent makes it hard for me to catch what he’s saying at times. But the sentiment is clear – he’s all about peace, unity and having fun. Striding the stage like a demented grizzly bear that’s just been tickled silly, he’s an entertainer, singer and frontman with equal adeptness.

Mike Clark, who possesses the second-longest tenure in Suicidal Tendencies after Muir, is a whole bundle of fun, throwing horns, raising fists and headbanging wildly, all the while laying down some serious riffs that bark aggression. His sidekick on guitar, Dean Pleasants, is more laidback, but considering he’s playing some tasteful yet technical solos, he does rather well.

Dean Brunner on bass is a monster, finger picking some truly jaw-dropping lead riffs on bass, while contributing walking basslines, popping and slapping his instrument to get all sorts of funky sounds that Suicidal Tendencies are known for. The newest member of the team, Eric Moore on drums, looked pretty bored most of the time but perked up when the crowd asked him for a solo, and he obliged, thunderously.

For the final song, ‘Pledge’, Mike Muir invited the crowd up on stage, and it is at this point that I’ll leave you with the pictures. When the dust settles and the bruises are counted, the Suicidal show in London will be counted as one of the best gigs of the year.